Factors Related to Behavior Change in Response to AIDS

This study investigates the relationship of psychosocial factors to AIDS-prompted changes in the sexual behavior of 312 college students. A hierarchical discriminant function analysis was used to determine whether two components of the Health Belief Model, susceptibility and self-efficacy, and personal/family background could discriminate students who had changed their behavior from those who had not changed. Three susceptibility variables (degree of romantic involvement, number of sexual partners, and self-perceived risk taking) and three self-efficacy variables (engaging in pre-sex discussions, frequency of contraceptive use, and interpersonal identity) were found to discriminate between the groups. Implications for practice are discussed.